Fifty years ago, Kirsten Acker's grandparents embarked on their coast to coast to coast journey across Canada in a Model A Ford. Today, Kirsten reflects on her own journey onboard Canada C3, how it has impacted her life and brought her full circle to a deeper connection with her family and her heritage.
“Leg 10 had maintained a precious heaviness in my chest that I did not want to lose, and I was afraid that stepping off the ship would mean stepping back into my regular life, that everything I had seen, heard, learned, and felt would fade into memory as other trips do, and that nothing would change…”
Visual artist and university lecturer Soheila Esfahani grew up in Iran, moving to Canada in 1992, during the 125th anniversary of Confederation. It was therefore quite fitting that she should find herself in Charlottetown, the birthplace of Confederation, on Canada Day, 25 years later during leg 4 of Canada C3. She explains how C3 impacted her art practice.
Uluriak Amarualik is based in Resolute, Nunavut. She is the granddaughter of survivors of the The High Arctic relocation that took place during the Cold War. Here she tells her life-story to artist Leslie Reid while travelling on board the Canada C3 expedition, following the same route through the Northwest Passage that her grandparents took 65 years ago.
In 2017, high school science teacher Josée Pennober participated in Canada C3. She returned fired up from her experience and ready to encourage her students to take further action. Read more about the school Ambassadors Committee and how they have been making a difference in their community below.
Today marks the 52nd anniversary of the passing of Chanie Wenjack, a 12 year old Ojibwe Anishinaabe boy who died trying to run away from residential school in Ontario. His death sparked an inquest and began to raise ethical questions about the impact of residential schools on Indigenous peoples. This impact continues to reverberate throughout Canada today. This is why a number of Indigenous participants, such as Lillian Howard hesitated to join Canada C3. Here she is in her own words.
She may still only be in her 20s but it is hard to find anything that youth ambassador Makrina Morozowski hasn’t done! As well as a Masters in counselling and studying to become a registered psychologist, she plays wheelchair basketball, horseback rides, skis and competes in crossfit. Makrina promotes the efforts of the 3E Love initiative - a social entrepreneurial experiment to change the perception of disability.
Dominique Normand is a Métis artist of Maliseet descent from the Laurentians. Enriched by her own experience since 2008 amongst the James Bay Cree communities and on the land, she becomes a witness to the entwined harmony of all our relations, a spokeswoman bearing a camera, armed with a brush. Here she explains in her own words and through her ‘Fogo Series’ how leg 5 of Canada C3 influenced her art practice.
"One year since the Polar Prince completed the 10-day Canada C3 expedition, life has changed for me in many ways because of the people, stories and lessons I encountered on Leg 3 of the journey.”
When public participant Jimmy Vigneux, photographer and general amazing man of action, met Lyne Morissette, Science Coordinator and top communicator on Leg 2 of Canada C3, it was the start of a beautiful, environmentally-oriented partnership.
Today is the 3rd annual National Moose Hide Campaign Gathering and Day of Fasting in Ottawa. This event brings together members of Parliament, senators, Aboriginal leaders, service leaders, the philanthropic community, community leaders, public servants and other guests.
On the first anniversary of Gord Downie’s passing, we thought it fitting to share the reflections of leg 3 participant, Jeffrey Copenace via an excerpt from his diary on day 2 of his journey.